There’s been a giant sucking sound the last few years. You’ve probably heard it. It’s the sound of social media startups vacuuming up the world’s venture capital and media mindshare. But what about all the other startups? You know, the “uncool” ones?
Startups that make tangible things seem to have fallen out of favor in recent years. Think about new companies tackling big challenges like life-saving therapies, food security, or sustainable energy. They seem to have disappeared in the popular media. Steve Blank describes this as Facebook killing Silicon Valley. Fortunately, popular buzz is not the same as startup reality. You might not hear much about the uncool companies, but they are out there, like ants diligently building their colonies. Even during these heady social media years, many thousands of uncool startups have continued to hack away at uncool problems and make progress. That’s fortunate for the world.
